John Fogerty has some of the best rain songs and they made for a proper soundtrack for Willie Nelson’s Outlaw Music Festival.

The tour ran into a storm in Cleveland Friday night and then again, but worse, Saturday at The Pavilion at Star Lake.

Flatland Country, a pleasant traditional country band from Texas, got its set in, as did Particle Kid, the creative psych band led by Nelson’s son, Micah.

But right after Flatland, we got lightning and sideways rain, soaking the pavilion. The fans on the lawn were moved under cover — it was a low turnout — except for a few who stayed up there to entertain us with mudslides. At just about any other show at the Pavilion, there would have been dozens joining.

Because of the 90-minute delay, they scrapped the set by the one woman on the show, the brilliant Kathleen Edwards, who was seen stepping out on stage a few times during the storm. She had just played a comeback show here at South Park last summer, but it was without her lead guitarist, so this would have been a chance to see the Canadian folk-rocker back in full force.

Instead, they cut right to John Fogerty, who came out hot with “Up Around the Bend,” backed by a band of young guys clearly thrilled to be playing the iconic Creedence Clearwater Revival songs with the real dude.

Fogerty was revved up, excitedly explaining that he’d just gotten ownership of his songs and “I’m gonna play ’em all!”

That plan went awry, but he came out hitting the high points, churning through “Green River,” “Lookin' Out My Back Door” (with a carnival accordion), “Who’ll Stop the Rain” and “Born on the Bayou” with the gritty vocals we know and love from the records.

Fogerty explained that he was holding the same Rickenbacker guitar that he played at Woodstock.

“Y’all remind me of Woodstock,” he added — maybe because of our sogginess — “but you’re much better looking. At Woodstock, everyone was asleep and naked.”

It hard to imagine how they slept through these songs, but, you know, the brown acid.

It was the second rain song — “Have You Ever Seen the Rain? — that halted his set. With lightning and thunder behind him, he got the alert to exit the stage.

About a half hour later, they announced, to a roar of boos, that that was it for Fogerty.

However, a short time later, while we were expecting Willie Nelson, Fogerty strolled back out with an acoustic guitar, saying he didn’t like the way that situation ended.

“We don’t control the weather,” he noted, adding, “but Willie might because he’s a god.”

Fogerty gave the fans what they wanted, chopping away at his guitar on hearty, sing-along versions of “Bad Moon Rising,” “Proud Mary,” “Cotton Fields”’ and “Fortunate Son.”

As for Willie, a web search for “Willie Nelson farewell tour” brings up nothing.

At 90 and three months, the country music legend, icon, institution — whatever you want to call him — hasn’t employed that gimmick and hasn’t talked about quitting.

He just keeps making music with his friends, old and new, young and old.

He played his first show in these parts in 1968, so Saturday night made that a 55-year span.

It was no doubt better now, between the richness of the songs and the gravitas in his one-of-a-kind voice.

Micah, on acoustic guitar, upright bassist Kevin Smith and Billy English (with his single snare) set a rapid pace for the songs, and Willie didn’t miss a beat, nailing the talk-sung vocals like he always does. On top, Mickey Raphael added all that color and sweetness from his harmonica.

They made a blur of the fast ones: “Whiskey River,” “Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys,” “On the Road Again,” “Still is Still Moving to Me.” And they painted beautiful portraits on the slow ones: “ Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground,” “You Were Always on My Mind,” “Georgia (On My Mind),” on which he worked his magic on old Trigger.

Micah brought humor to the set with “Everything Is Bulls—t,” his take on the news, and last year’s “Die When I'm High (Halfway to Heaven),” which he wrote (high) from his father’s perspective, starting with the line, “I figured Trigger would outlive my liver/but I’m still here writing songs.”

Even more than usual, it was like seeing them on the front porch — music-making at its finest.

They brought a stormy Outlaw Fest to a joyous finish by bringing out Flatland Edwards, who FINALY got to sing, for “Will the Circle Be Unbroken?” and “It's Hard to Be Humble.”

See you right here next year, Mr. Nelson.

Willie Nelson Set List

Whiskey River

Stay a Little Longer

Still Is Still Moving to Me

Bloody Mary Morning

I Never Cared for You

Die When I'm High (Halfway to Heaven)

Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys

Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground

On the Road Again

You Were Always on My Mind

Everything Is Bullshit

Good Hearted Woman

Georgia (On My Mind)

I Been to Georgia on a Fast Train

Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die

Write Your Own Songs

Move It on Over

We Don't Run

I Thought About You, Lord

Will the Circle Be Unbroken?

It's Hard to Be Humble

John Fogerty Set List

Up Around the Bend

Green River

Born on the Bayou

Who'll Stop the Rain

Lookin' Out My Back Door

Rock and Roll Girls

Have You Ever Seen the Rain?

Bad Moon Rising (acoustic)

Proud Mary (acoustic)

Cotton Fields (acoustic)

Fortunate Son (acoustic)

First Published: August 13, 2023, 3:56 a.m.